on Volunteerism

Ambassador Phyllis M. Powers inaugurates the bridge
in the rural community of El Dorado

Every time I board a plane between Nicaragua and the United States, I am often one of the only passengers who is not part of a group doing volunteer work.  When I talk with these selfless travelers, I find that they come from every corner of the U.S. to serve in every part of Nicaragua, from teachers of sign language in Esteli to Engineers Without Borders in Carazo, dental brigades in the RAAN to Habitat for Humanity in Managua. 

Last month, in fact, I helped Bridges to Prosperity inaugurate a bridge in the rural community of El Dorado, just outside of Esteli.  The bridge itself was a spectacular sight—and it was completed just in time for the rainy season.  But it was the coming together of community—both Nicaraguans and Americans—truly defined what we mean when we say “people to people.” 

Flatiron Construction worked with local Nicaraguan engineers, who in turn trained the community of El Dorado to maintain and care for the bridge; Peace Corps volunteers from across the country, including the Country Director, came to show support.  I even met a young woman who is working to improve the lives of the deaf community in Nicaragua by promoting Nicaraguan Sign Language.  We cut the ribbon and crossed the bridge….together.

Fundación Fabretto, an institution for over a quarter century in Nicaragua, is another tremendous example of partnership, cooperation and generosity.  Through the efforts of staff and volunteers, following the selfless example of Padre Fabretto, the organization has fed, educated, and enriched thousands of children.  They remain the standard for organizations that bring volunteers to Nicaragua; they coordinate with secular and faith-based organizations, the private sector and the government.  Our Embassy relies on them for over twenty percent of our English Access Micro-scholarship classrooms and teachers. 

While the title of Ambassador in the context of the State Department means that I serve as the President’s personal representative to Nicaragua, the thousands of American volunteers who come to Nicaragua every year are personally representative of the American people.  Every day, planes full of volunteers bring Americans back and forth between our countries, strengthening the human bonds we share.  The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) may get the largest headlines, but the most important capital moving between the United States and Nicaragua is human.   

This service has awakened a need in our embassy to meet as many of you as we can, to help to amplify your message of “can do,” and to partner with you if possible.  Your service reminds us every day that people to people diplomacy is the best and most effective diplomacy.  I invite you to contact us when you come to Nicaragua, to share with us your stories of volunteerism, what you shared, what you learned.  I look forward to meeting you, thank you for what you do.

Turn the Beat Around: How youth are using hip hop to prevent violence

I was thrilled the other day to see a performance by young Nicaraguans who call themselves Original Style Breaks, and I marveled at how this artistic style has evolved into something far more positive than it was originally.  Hip hop music developed in the early 1980’s when a highly profitable form of cocaine “crack” was flooding the United States’ inner-city streets, creating a new generation of addicts, and igniting a bloody fight for territory between rival drug gangs. At the time, many people viewed hip hop culture as negative. Rap music was seen as promoting violence. Young people let their pants hang down below their underwear in a hip hop fashion statement based on the fact that U.S. prisons. do not allow belts, and some boys in the hood wanted to indicate that they were tough by suggesting that they had been in jail.

Many of the large cities in the U.S. made remarkable progress in curbing the drug trade and reducing violence. This took a comprehensive effort at improving law enforcement, increasing the efficiency of the courts and the prison system, funding social services and providing drug treatment. However, the most important factor was the efforts of members of those poor communities most impacted to end this wave of terror. Residents organized to take back their neighborhoods from the drug dealers. Young people, many of whom had seen friends senselessly gunned down, took the lead to help steer their contemporaries away from gang life and a vicious cycle of violence and retribution. They used the elements of  hip hop culture, rap music and graffiti, to deliver powerful anti-violence messages, and they used activities like break dancing to offer positive outlets for youthful energy.

Members of break dancing groups like Original Style Breaks understand that many young people join gangs because they do not have a functioning family and feel that there is no place where they belong. A break dancing group acts in many ways as a substitute family. The members look out for each other and offer encouragement and a group identity. They call their competitions “battles” where groups try to beat each other with gravity defying dance moves rather than guns and knives. A regional webchat on April 3 provided a forum for hip hop youth in various Central and South American countries to talk about their dancing and the creative solutions they come up with to confront stereotypes, take back their streets and spread the message of hip hop. 

Young people of today have been able to take the hip hop that initially created a lot of societal anxiety and use it to make positive changes in the lives of their peers. As the United States seeks to promote citizen security, economic opportunity and social inclusion, it is important that young people are an essential part of the conversation and that we respect their ideas. I very much look forward to meeting more young people from Nicaragua, many of whom are following the path of Martin Luther King, the anniversary of whose assassination we mark on April 4.  King said, in his last sermon:

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.

Five ideas to celebrate International Women’s Day

This year, International Women’s Day focuses on ending violence against women — a gross human rights violation that affects up to 7 in 10 women and a top priority for UN Women. As commemorations are underway in all corners of the globe, "One Woman" reminds us that together, we can overcome violence and discrimination: "We Shall Shine!" Join us to help spread the word and enjoy this musical celebration of women worldwide. Download the song at http://song.unwomen.org/

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the advances to women’s rights and the individual women and girls who continue to fight for change in their countries and around the world. The holiday has been commemorated since the early 1900s, a time marked by economic and social transformation – especially for the scores of women entering the formal workplace. International Women’s Day was originally proposed as a day that would be devoted to women’s political and economic demands, and continues to help create greater awareness of women’s causes and advocacy efforts. 

The United Nations has commemorated March 8 as International Women’s Day since 1975, and today countries celebrate International Women’s Day in different and unique ways across the globe. This year, let’s be inspired by these celebrations and take some time out of our own days to mark this special occasion.

1.    Defend the right to be free from violence
The official UN theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.” Violence against women is one of the deadliest human rights violations internationally, and can take many shapes – not just sexual violence, but psychological and economic as well. About one out of every three women in the world will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, a number that climbs even higher in many conflict situations, and worldwide up to 50% of sexual assaults are committed against girls under the age of 16. Gender-based violence devastates the lives of millions of women and girls, crossing ethnic, cultural, and national borders.

2.    Participate in women’s rights campaigns
Today’s celebration was born out of activism and protest on the part of women all over the world. Early in the 20th century, gender inequality in the U.S. spurred many women to campaign for change – in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding better pay and voting rights, and in the 1912 “Bread and Roses” strike, some 20,000 female textile workers, many of them immigrants, protested lower wages in Massachusetts textile mills. March 8 still represents an opportunity to call attention to women’s causes, including political freedom, labor rights, and security from violence.

3.    Recognize the women in your life
Each of us has been shaped by the women in our lives, and in many countries International Women’s Day is a chance to say thank you – to mothers and sisters, friends and colleagues. March 8 is an official holiday in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Georgia – just to name a few – while in China, Nepal, and Madagascar women get the day off from work. In Italy, women receive yellow mimosas, while red roses are a popular choice in Russia.

4.    Serve as a resource for young women
Women face a unique set of challenges in every stage of their lives. Globally, more girls than boys are out of school. One woman dies every minute from childbirth. And women have less access to land, credit, and dignified and stable work. Yet women are responsible for almost two-thirds of consumer spending worldwide, and spend more of that income on health and education than men – ensuring social progress and future productivity for their communities. Across all sectors of society, from the corporate boardroom to the political table, women have less say in the decisions that affect them. While the challenges women face are daunting, there is strength in numbers. Support networks, whether through social groups or all-female cooperatives, can help advance gender equality one woman at a time.

Empowerment often begins on an individual level, and being a source of guidance and support for younger women is a goal we can all share.

5.    Remember the past and look forward to the future
In the U.S., all of March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the generations of women who have advanced the cause of women’s rights. This week, for example, marks the 100th anniversary of the 1913 Suffrage March on Washington, DC, when 8,000 women marched for their right to vote. While International Women’s Day is a celebration of the impressive progress in women’s rights, it is also a reminder of the challenges still ahead. While we should celebrate how far women have come, many obstacles to women’s political and economic empowerment remain – and today is an opportunity reflect on all there still is left to do.

How will you celebrate International Women’s Day? Talk to me on Twitter @EmbPowers, #womensday.

How Yale’s Female Crew Team Changed Sports Forever in the U.S.

There was hope in the U.S. that the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 insured equality for all Americans. However, there was still much work to be done.  So when the Higher Education Act of 1965 was up for renewal in 1972, Congress passed a series of amendments to promote equality in education, including a section known as Title IX that stated that no person on the basis of sex could be excluded from or discriminated against in any educational program or activity in an institution receiving federal assistance.

Since the majority of colleges and universities in the United States, both public and private, receive some form of federal financial assistance, nearly all were subject to the law.

When President Nixon signed the revised Education bill, he spoke largely about the efforts at ending racial discrimination. He said nothing about gender issues. For several years while the Department of Health, Education and Welfare considered regulations to implement the law, the general public was largely oblivious to Title IX. That is until a women’s crew team staged a startling protest.

Crew in New England is a grueling sport. Teams have to practice at a back breaking pace through the winter and spring in rain, snow and sleet. In 1976, the women’s team at Yale was doing much better in competition than the men’s team but had to endure a series of indignities. The men had state of the art boats, while the women had to use old, dilapidated hulks. After practice the men ran into a boathouse where they could change, shower and warm back up. The women not only couldn’t use the boathouse, but had to wait for the men before riding soaking wet in a bus back to the university.

On March 3, 1976, 19 of the women staged an unusual protest.  Accompanied by two reporters, the 19 women marched into the office of Yale’s Director of Physical Education and stripped naked. On their backs written in lipstick and magic marker were the words “Title IX”. Team Captain Chris Ernst read an eloquent statement that said:

These are the bodies Yale is exploiting. We have come here today to make clear how unprotected we are, to show graphically what we are being exposed to ... No effective action has been taken and no matter what we hear, it doesn't make these bodies warmer, or dryer, or less prone to sickness ... We're human and being treated as less than such.

News of this protest spread like wildfire through the national media. Most reporters had to search frantically to find out what Title IX was. Colleges that made huge amounts of money off male sports went into a panic. But no one could deny fairness, and no one could any longer ignore the law.  The results have been startling. Since this protest, women’s participation in university sports in the United States has increased four hundred percent. In 1976, one girl in 27 participated in high school sports. The figure now is one in 2.5. Our new Secretary of State John Kerry has called Chris Ernst “the Rosa Parks of Title IX”.

I learned from this incident the power of individuals to correct injustice and the fact that it is meaningless to have good laws on the books unless citizens stand up and insist that they be enforced. I am proud that the Department of State is sponsoring programs in Nicaragua in softball and soccer to help spread the word of female empowerment through sports and the message of Title IX to Nicaragua and the world.

Farewell Hillary Clinton, Outstanding Secretary of State and Good Friend of Nicaragua

Hillary Clinton during her visit to Nicaragua in 1998

Friday, February 1 marks the last day that Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as Secretary of State. In the last four years she’s traveled 956,733 miles to 112 different countries and had 1,700 meetings with world leaders. But beyond those meetings with Presidents and Foreign Ministers she has managed to make very personal contact with people in all walks of life all around the globe.

She has been a tireless advocate for women and girls, and has convinced many that improving the condition of woman is not only the just thing to do, but the smart thing to do because no nation can afford the waste the talents of half of its people. In the same way she has shown that the path to democracy is difficult but it is the only way to achieve a modern, stable and prosperous country.

At times in her life, she has been subject to a barrage of harsh and, at times, unfair criticism, but she has accepted this is a necessary part of public life and she has been a constant advocate for freedom of the press and freedom of expression, including online.

Many remember her visit as First Lady to Nicaragua in November of 1998 to survey the devastation from Hurricane Mitch. She brought with her 54 million dollars in debt forgiveness for Nicaragua and Honduras another 57 million in food assistance. As Secretary, Hillary Clinton continued to make disaster relief and humanitarian assistance a priority for the State Department and USAID.

Lincoln Comes Alive on Screen

After attending the premier of the movie Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, I wanted to share my impressions with you.  I was struck by the raw honesty that Spielberg captured regarding one of my country’s most principled decisions, taken at the end of what was surely the most difficult period in our history. As U.S. Ambassador, I’ve said repeatedly that getting democracy right is complicated and difficult, but I don’t think people always believe me.  If you’ve doubted the sincerity of such statement, this movie will make a believer out of you.  It shows just how messy and difficult the process of building a strong nation has been for us, how much compromise, politics, loss and suffering have been required.  Spielberg shows this process, warts and all. 

I was also impressed by the film’s attempt to find the real human being in the figure of Abraham Lincoln whose life long ago became the stuff of legend. Many historians have stated that Lincoln in fact was a very clever and ambitious politician. When he was a candidate for President he said repeatedly that he did not want to end slavery and only wanted to preserve the union.  However, after three years of bloody Civil War, he realized that achieving his ambition of preserving the union would come at a very high cost. Civil wars are a severe trauma for any country. It is important to remember that if you add up all the casualties of America’s other wars, from the Revolution through both World Wars, the Civil War ranks as the most costly conflict in our nation’s history in terms of human lives lost. Lincoln realized that this carnage could only be justified if the war served a higher purpose of advancing equality and ending the fundamental flaw that despite the statement from our Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal,” the Constitution permitted slavery.

This film tells the story of how Lincoln used all of his political skill to reconcile the conflicting interests of his highly contentious cabinet, three of whose members had run against him for president, and got them to agree to press Congress to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution outlawing slavery and involuntary servitude.  

During February each year, we celebrate Black History Month, and this film is therefore well-timed to help us reflect on our struggle to overcome our racist past.  I remember walking through Arlington Cemetery, the large military cemetery just outside Washington, D.C., and being struck by how many graves are marked with USCT (“United States Colored Troops” as they were called then). Many lie besides white comrades, who often fell in battle exactly the same day.  The Emancipation Proclamation, the 150th anniversary of which we celebrate this year, made it possible for black men to fight for their own freedom.  But had the war ended before the passage of the 13th Amendment, the southern states could have continued to permit slavery.  


The lessons I take from this is that although our great historical figures like Lincoln were extraordinary heroes, they are not that different from you and me.  Democracy is not just great ideals, eloquent speeches and elections. It is hard work. But it is those who undertake the daily frustrating tasks of being citizens in a democracy who have most advanced the cause of human freedom. 

The struggle for equality continues today in many places for ethnic groups, women, immigrants, gays, lesbians and more.  Keep that in mind as you see or read about the movie and remember that it is up to every one of us to see that Lincoln’s truth keeps marching on.

Faith in the Future – Inauguration Brings a Peaceful Transition and New Beginnings

For the 57th time in United States history, the president-elect will be sworn into office in the inauguration ceremony.  Since the 20th amendment was adopted in 1933, the transfer of power from one administration to the next takes place at noon on January 20. This year, President Obama will take the official oath of office on Sunday, January 20 and celebrate the public inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 21, which is also the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.

Inauguration Day is a time to reflect on change and moving forward. Faith in America’s Future is this year’s inauguration theme. The theme was chosen in part to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the placement of the Statue of Freedom on top of the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. We look back to a very difficult time in U.S. history, when the nation was torn apart by a civil war and facing deep disagreements on the idea of slavery. At that time, the government couldn’t guarantee that workers on the new and ambitious Capitol dome would be paid. But workers continued their labors, including a freed slave, Philip Reid, who helped in the foundry casting the bronze statue. This willingness to work on a project that symbolized unity, progress, and faith in the country’s ability to get through hard times is relevant today. We face challenges today – economic difficulties, gun violence, gender violence, divisive politics. Just as those workers in 1863 pulled together with their faith in the nation’s future, on Inauguration Day, elected officials and communities will be coming together with faith in the Constitution, the political process, and the ability to overcome challenges. President Barack Obama summed it up in his first Presidential press conference in 2009: “The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.”

No matter how hotly contested the primaries and presidential campaign are, the peaceful transfer of power takes place, as mandated in the Constitution. There is real work to be done, both within and beyond the boundaries of the United States. Now is the time to renew our efforts with our partners around the world to work for a better future.